Foldable clothes drying devices of this general type have been known for many years and are in common use. Generally, these have been limited to an arrangement wherein the lower cross or boss to which each of the radiating line support arms is pivotally attached, is slidable along the standard, with each of the arms being formed from a single length of rigid steel tube. When the arms are folded outwardly, their inner ends move upwardly along the standard together with the slidable lower cross, whilst when folded inwardly, their inner ends, along with the lower cross, move downwardly along the standard. When in the fully collapsed position, the elongate arms extend approximately vertically and project well above the upper end of the standard. While clothes lines or hoists of the aforementioned type have been found to be generally satisfactory and popular with consumers, they are not without their drawbacks. For example the step of folding the elongate support arms between their extended in-use and collapsed or retracted positions can prove awkward for some people, especially those of small stature, bearing in mind that all (generally four) of the arms fold simultaneously. Such an operation involves the releasing of a latch mechanism carried on the lower cross in order to release same to allow it to move along the standard.
Another drawback is the tendency of the clothes lines which extend between the elongate arms to become entangled when the hoist is in its collapsed position. Such entanglement often interferes with the folding movement of the arms from their retracted to their extended positions.
A still further drawback with existing collapsible clothes hoists is their relatively large overall height when in the collapsed condition, it being appreciated that the arms when collapsed extend well beyond the upper end of the standard. From an aesthetic point of view, this can detract from the overall appearance of the product.